MARCH 3, 1975
BASEBALL IS BACK!
Citrus Loop Play Gets Underway This Week It was just five months ago that the Seattle Kings ended a 37 year World Championship Series drought by defeating the Atlanta Copperheads in a thrilling title series that went the full seven games. While the Pacific Northwest has had plenty of collegiate success - Rainier College has won the AIAA basketball tournament five times and Lane State prevailed each of the last two years- the Kings series win was the first professional sports title for the region.
While the Kings are certainly one of the early favourites to repeat as baseball's best - the last team to do it was the 1969-70 Los Angeles Stars- it appears Seattle will have plenty of competition with much of it coming from within their own division. The Continental Association West Division may just be the most competitive of the four groups with any of four teams looking like they may have what it takes to win a WCS in 1975.
The Kings possess what might be the deepest starting rotation in the sport anchored by Moe Lowery, Swede Hawkins and John Howell - none of whom are older than 27- but are expected to face quite a challenge from not only the revamped Chicago Cougars, who added four-time Federal Association Whitney Award winner Tom Lorang and all-star outfielder Andy Babel, but also the Dallas Wranglers and Los Angeles Stars. The Wranglers, a 1962 expansion club, are on the rise and look poised to challenge for their first-ever playoff berth after a franchise record 95 win season a year ago. The Stars are aging but may still have enough left to make one more run at what would be their 8th playoff berth in the past ten years.
In contrast, the Continental Association East Division may well be the weakest of the four groupings. Montreal dominated the division since its inception in 1969 with the Saints winning five straight division crowns before a major drop-off a year ago saw them finish third and at the .500 mark, winning 21 games less than they did in 1973. If Montreal can bounce back they would be the team to beat but the Saints will be challenged by the Milwaukee Arrows, who won their first division title last season. The New York Imperials and Cincinnati Cannons could also be in the mix although both have question marks. Among those in the Queen City are how will Ace Barrell perform in 1975? Can he duplicate his career best 18-10, 2.94 campaign from a year ago when he started reminding Cannons fans of his Hall of Fame father or was it just a one year wonder for a pitcher who has struggled much of his career. The big question mark in New York surrounds management. Imperials brass has already tossed around the idea of trading veteran slugger Phil Terry, who has been the model of consistency in the New York outfield and is still just 30 years old. Will the Imperials be patient and give this group a chance in a division race that looks wide open or after back to back fourth place finishes and a franchise that has never had a sniff of playoff baseball, will they tear it down and look to rebuild with prospects?
The strength of the Federal Association looks to be its East Division where the Copperheads, transplanted from Pittsburgh to Atlanta prior to the '74 campaign, have won the last three division titles and topped the 100-victory mark in each of those campaigns. It is hard to see anyone toppling the Copperheads this time around but OSA, the league scouting service, suggests the Boston Minutemen, despite finishing 19 games back of Atlanta a year ago, are the most likely candidate should Atlanta stumble along the lines of Montreal's collapse a year ago.
The Federal Association West has seen four different teams win the division over the past five years with only the Minneapolis Millers and Detroit Dynamos failing to turn the trick. The mid-season addition of John Edwards from the Millers might be enough to separate the Houston Comets from the rest of the pack this time around but this division feels like one that could be the most unpredictable of 1975.
Adding to the uncertainty, and excitement for the 1975 season is the fact that human general managers are back. It has been a 12-year absence as the fast-forward was conducted to clean up the league file and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact that has on the league. With the free agency, and the unknown results it will bring looing on the horizon, will a FABL GM or two go all-in and make a push to win what will be the final World Championship Series of the reserve-clause era?
Many of those questions will not be answered until well into the summer but our first glimpse and just what the 24 teams may look like this season will come this week with the start of preseason play. Here is OSA's way-to-early predictions on how the '75 campaign just might play out.
There are certain sounds you never quite forget if you once pulled on a uniform for a living. The thud of a ball in a catcher’s mitt. The scrape of spikes on packed dirt. The low murmur of a clubhouse before anyone’s said the first foolish thing of the day.
Spring training brings all of it back.
No matter how many winters pass, the sight of pitchers and catchers loosening their arms under a warm sun still feels like a small miracle. The calendar can say March all it wants, but baseball is the thing that truly tells you winter has finally loosened its grip. For players, fans, and even retired fellows like me who now watch from a distance, the start of FABL spring training is the game’s annual promise renewed.
This year’s camps feel especially alive. Every spring carries hope, of course, but there’s something extra in the air when clubs arrive believing—not pretending, but believing—that this could be their year. You can see it in the way veterans linger a little longer over early batting practice, or how young players arrive wide-eyed, convinced they’re only a few good swings away from staying for good.
There’s already plenty to talk about, as there always is. Chicago’s front office didn’t waste the winter, and the Cougars’ recent trades have turned more than a few heads around the league. On paper, they look deeper, tougher, and better prepared for a long summer grind. Of course, paper has never had to face a good slider in the eighth inning, but you have to admire the intent.
And then there are the Seattle Kings, who reminded everyone last October why this game never runs out of stories. Ending a World Championship Series drought that stretched all the way back to their Brooklyn days in 1937 wasn’t just a victory for that franchise—it was a reminder that patience, persistence, and the occasional well-timed bounce can still pay off in this sport. Somewhere right now, a few veterans from those lean years are probably smiling into their morning coffee.
But spring training isn’t really about standings or trophies. Not yet. It’s about clean uniforms and empty ledgers. It’s about managers convincing themselves that this year’s mix will be just right, and players convincing themselves that the aches won’t matter once the games count. It’s about the quiet optimism that lives in every dugout before the first bad road trip knocks on the door.
For the fans, it’s the return of routine—the box scores over breakfast, the radio on in the late innings, the slow unfolding of a season that asks for your patience and usually rewards it in unexpected ways. Baseball doesn’t rush. It invites you back, day after day, reminding you that tomorrow there’s always another game.
So welcome back, spring training. Welcome back, baseball. The fields are green again, the arguments are friendly again, and hope—real hope—has reported to camp right on time.
PLAYOFF RACES TIGHTEN AS NAHC SKATES INTO FINAL MONTHWith roughly a dozen games remaining on most schedules, the North American Hockey Confederation enters the final 30 days of the regular season with plenty still at stake. While several division crowns appear close to settled, positioning for the postseason—and survival itself—promises a spirited finish across the league.
At the top of the standings, the Boston Bees have been the class of the NAHC. Their 42-18-7 record gives them 91 points, best in the league and a commanding 14-point advantage over Montreal in the Connelly Division. Short of a collapse, Boston appears destined for a division title and the accompanying first-round playoff bye.
Chicago enjoys a similarly comfortable cushion in the Yeadon Division. The Packers’ steady play has opened up a 13-point lead over Minneapolis, placing them firmly in control as the calendar turns to March. The race below them, however, remains very much alive as clubs jockey for the remaining playoff positions.
In the Dewar Division, the defending Challenge Cup champion Philadelphia Rogues have shaken off an uneven start and surged into the driver’s seat. Philadelphia holds a six-point edge on Cincinnati with both clubs having 11 games left to play. While the Rogues remain favored to finish first, the Ironclads have kept the pressure on and ensured that the division race is not yet academic.
The tightest battle of all is unfolding in the Thomas Division. Vancouver and Los Angeles are deadlocked at 72 points, though the Totems hold a crucial game in hand. The race has swung dramatically over the past two months—Los Angeles tore through January with a remarkable 16-0-1 run just as Vancouver endured a prolonged slump. The two rivals will meet in Los Angeles one week from tomorrow in a matchup that could go a long way toward deciding the division crown.
Under the NAHC’s new playoff format the top three teams from each division qualify for the postseason, with division winners earning an opening-round bye. That leaves intense battles brewing for third place. In the Thomas Division, San Francisco clings to a one-point edge over Calgary, though the Grizzlies have played one fewer game. In the Connelly Division, Quebec sits three points clear of Toronto, also with a game in hand, and the two clubs are slated to meet at Dominion Gardens on the final weekend of the season.
Once the field is set, the eight second- and third-place teams will be seeded for best-of-three opening-round series, making every point critical down the stretch. Montreal currently leads that pack with 77 points, but with so little separating the contenders, the scramble for home-ice advantage promises to be nearly as fierce as the fight to qualify.
As the season’s final 30 days unfold, the picture is clear: division titles may be coming into focus, but the NAHC playoff races are far from settled.
NAHC WEEKLY RESULTS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 24
Vancouver at Washington :Despite being badly outshot the Washington Federals scored three third period goals to defeat the visiting Vancouver Totems 5-1. Tom Markle scored twice to lead the Feds.
Calgary at St Louis :Cal Furness collected three assists to lead the Calgary Grizzlies to a 5-2 victory over St Louis. The victory moves Calgary to within two points of San Francisco for third place in the Thomas Division
Montreal at New York : Montreal has yet to lose in 6 meetings this season with the New York Shamrocks. The latest was a 3-0 victory with Fred Rucks earning his fifth shutout of the season.
Atlanta at Los Angeles :The Stingrays won their second in a row, beating Atlanta 5-2 behind a goal and an assist from Ernie Baldwin and Julien Ouellet.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 25
Los Angeles at Minneapolis :The Los Angeles win streak was short-lived as they were thumped 7-2 by Minneapolis. Larry Boivin had four points while Ned Derby scored twice for the Norsemen.
Chicago at St Louis :The Sawyers are winless in four games as they try to keep pace with Minneapolis in the battle for second place in the Yeadon Division. St Louis and division leader Chicago skated to a 3-3 tie on this night. Pat Valentine assisted on all three of the Sawyers goals.
Philadelphia at Quebec :Dick Martens third period goal, his seventh of the season, was the difference and lifted the Citadels to a 5-4 victory over Philadelphia.
Cincinnati at Detroit :Detroit's four game unbeaten streak ended with a 6-3 loss at home to Cincinnati. Alan Porter and Ryley Fistric each scored twice for the Ironclads, who are 3-1-1 in their last five games.
Montreal at San Francisco :A 6-1 win over San Francisco gives the Montreal Valiants a 6-game winning streak. Clyde Raines scored twice and added an assist while Charles Thibeault had 3 helpers for the winners.
Washington at Calgary : Washington dipped to 2-5-1 in their last eight games with a 3-1 loss to the Grizzlies in Calgary. It was Calgary's 4th win in their last five outings.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26
Boston at Quebec : Andy Afar scored twice and added an assist as the Boston Bees improved on the NAHC's best record with a 4-1 win over the Citadels. Boston has won 4 consecutive games and seven of their last eight.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia :The defending Challenge Cup champions handed the worst team in the league its 12th consecutive loss as the Rogues blasted the Sentinels 9-2. Pat Reimer and Brian Forsyth each scored twice for Philadelphia.
Vancouver at Boston :Tommy Gordon scored twice including the game winner on the power play midway through the third period to lift Boston to another victory, 3-2 over visiting Vancouver.
Montreal at Toronto :A big win for Toronto as they are fighting to catch Quebec for third place in the Connelly Division. The Dukes downed longtime rival Montreal 5-2 thanks to a 38 save performance from veteran Toronto netminder Pat Stephens.
Detroit at San Francisco :It has been a tough season for the Motors but they closed out a decent February, going 5-4-2, with a 4-4 tie on the west coast. Yves Dagenais, one of the few bright spots for the Motors, leads the NAHC in scoring after collecting three assists on this night.
Minneapolis at Calgary :Alex Wilkins and the Calgary Grizzlies blanked Minneapolis 5-0, giving the Grizzlies three straight wins and victories in five of their last six games.
Atlanta at New York :New York snapped a five-game winless streak and handed Atlanta it's third consecutive defeat following a 2-1 Shamrocks victory. Gabe Ayotte was strong in the New York net while Milt Young and Danny Cabbell assisted on both Shamrocks goals.
Cincinnati at St Louis :Hugh MacLaren scored his 25th and 26th goals of the season while also adding an assist to lead the Sawyers to a 5-2 victory over Cincinnati.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28
Quebec at Minneapolis : Minneapolis regained its one point lead on St Louis in the fight for second place in the Yeadon Division following a 3-1 victory at home over Quebec. Tom Rowley scored his 47th goal and added an assist for the Norsemen.
San Francisco at Philadelphia : Glenn McKenzie picked up an assist in his 8th straight game but it was not enough as his Philadelphia Rogues could not overcome a 3-goal second period from San Francisco and fell 3-2 to the Gulls.
Chicago at Pittsburgh : 13 losses in a row for Pittsburgh after Billy Furtado and Bill Tannen scored 46 seconds apart in the third period to give Chicago a come from behind 4-3 victory over the hapless Sentinels.
Atlanta at Vancouver :Vancouver pulled back into a first place tie with Los Angeles atop the Thomas Division following a 3-1 victory on home ice over Atlanta.
SATURDAY MARCH 1
Detroit at New York :Greg Sutherland's 19th goal of the season, early in the third period gave the Shamrocks a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Motors.
Cincinnati at Toronto :Alan Porter extended his point streak to 13 games with a goal and an assist in the Cincinnati Ironclads 7-4 victory in Toronto.
SUNDAY MARCH 2
Chicago at Pittsburgh :Pittsburgh did not earn a win but the Sentinels did snap their 13 game losing skid with a 3-3 tie on home ice against Chicago. The Packers are second overall in the NAHC with 82 points, trailing only Boston. Pittsburgh, with 44 points, owns the worst record in the league.
Washington at Toronto :The banged up Dukes have just one win in their last six games following a 4-1 loss on home ice to Washington.
EXPANSION MAULERS MUSCLE THEIR WAY TO CHL SUMMITIn most sports, the expansion label is practically a warning sign—years of growing pains, thin rosters, and long springs spent well outside the playoff picture. Baseball has followed that script almost to the letter, and football and basketball have rarely been kinder, save for the exceptional Houston Drillers, who reached the AFA title game in just their second season.
Hockey, however, continues to buck the trend. The NAHC saw the Atlanta Blazers capture a division crown in their inaugural 1972–73 campaign, and now the Continental Hockey League has its own startling newcomer. The Milwaukee Maulers, barely a season old, have surged to the top of the CHL standings and show no sign of slowing.
At 41-21-6, the Maulers lead the Central Division and own the league’s best overall record with ten games still to play. A decisive week featuring victories over third-place Ottawa and division rival Winnipeg—who had held a one-point edge over Milwaukee—proved to be the turning point. Those wins vaulted the Maulers into first place and capped a solid 7-4-1 run over their last dozen outings.
Unlike Winnipeg and Ottawa, clubs built around elite scoring threats such as Tim Moore and Hobie Barrell, Milwaukee has thrived without a classic sniper. Instead, their rise can be traced to a pair of shrewd December moves. The first brought veteran forward Larry Ewbanks from Houston. After scoring 38 goals for the Outlaws a year ago, the 31-year-old struggled mightily this season, managing just six tallies in 40 games before being dealt. In Milwaukee, Ewbanks has rediscovered his touch, piling up 20 goals and 40 points in just 26 games in a Maulers sweater.
The second deal added goaltender Joey Marlowe from Seattle, giving the Maulers a steady partner for 23-year-old rookie Simon Allenby. The undrafted Allenby—passed over by every other CHL club during the past two seasons—has emerged as a cornerstone of Milwaukee’s success, anchoring a defense-first approach that has frustrated opponents nightly.
There is still work to be done. Milwaukee and Winnipeg will meet once more in the season’s penultimate week, and the Falcons hold a game in hand. Still, the message is unmistakable. Built largely from cast-offs and overlooked talent, the expansion Maulers have forced the entire CHL to take notice—and have rewritten, once again, what a first-year franchise can be.
9 GAME WINNING STREAK PERFECT TIMING FOR KNIGHTSThe New York Knights could hardly have picked a better time to go on a 9-game winning streak. The Atlantic Division was a five-team slugfest with just a scant two games separating all five teams in the division when New York embarked on its streak with a 147-99 win over the Minneapolis Bobcats. Eight more victories followed including a key road win over Boston and a pair of wins against Washington, two teams in the thick of the battle with the Knights.
The division winners and two wildcards from each conference will qualify for the playoffs so with no one in the Central Division outside of first place Chicago anywhere in the vicinity of a winning record, that means that two of the Atlantic Division clubs will not make the playoffs - and all five are presently over .500.
New York's streak has opened some ground for the Knights, as the long-time division powerhouse now leads second place Philadelphia by 4 games but fifth place Washington is still just 6.5 out of the lead. With 20 games remaining in the season, New York - which has finished first in their division for five consecutive years and won three league playoff titles during that time- still has its work cut out for it to keep that streak alive.
The Western Conference has an equally exciting battle going on as just one game separates the top five teams in the conference. The St Louis Rockets and Seattle Emeralds are still in the mix but each has fallen on hard times with the Rockets dropping 7 of their last 10 outings and the Emeralds losers in 8 of their last 12 game. The other three teams in that five team battle - Minneapolis, Houston and San Francisco- have each won seven of their last ten games to tighten things up considerably in the west as we head into the final quarter of the season.
PLAINSMEN MAKING A CHARGE IN THE WESTJust a few weeks ago the Kansas City Plainsmen looked like a club destined to spend the spring peering up from the middle of the Western Division. Today, the defending West champions are very much back in the picture. Kansas City has won 10 of its last 12 games, climbed back to the .500 mark, and suddenly finds itself applying real pressure to the teams ahead of it in the standings.
The turnaround has been a dramatic one. December and January were punishing months for the Plainsmen, who staggered through an 8–21 stretch that included a nine-game losing streak and raised questions about whether last season’s division title run had taken more out of the roster than expected. The breaking point came in mid-December when veteran small forward Joe Williams, averaging 16 points a night, went down with a broken ankle. His absence left a sizable hole in both the scoring column and the locker room.
It took time, but the replacement plan is finally paying dividends. Twenty-two-year-old Glenn Kelley, a sixth-round pick in the 1973 draft out of Opelika State, has grown increasingly comfortable in the starting lineup. Over the past two weeks Kelley has erupted twice for 35-point performances, giving Kansas City the secondary scoring punch it sorely lacked during its midseason swoon.
With Kelley now joining Wesley Williams and Leroy Washington as consistent scoring options, the Plainsmen offense—directed by steady guard Bill Harness—has found its rhythm. Add in the rugged rebounding and interior work of center Fred McLeod, and Kansas City suddenly looks much more like the balanced club that topped the division a year ago.
The surge has also created a bit of daylight in the crowded Western playoff chase. Kansas City has begun to separate itself from the pack of teams scrapping for the final two postseason berths, leaving San Diego, Dallas, and Portland to sort things out behind them. After months spent digging out of a deep hole, the Plainsmen are no longer just surviving—they’re charging, and the rest of the West has taken notice.
TOURNAMENT PICTURE COMING INTO FOCUSWith just two weeks left in the regular season, the outline of the 66th annual AIAA Championship Tournament is finally beginning to sharpen. The 32-team field will be announced shortly after conference schedules conclude, with 15 automatic bids reserved for conference champions and 17 at-large selections filling out the bracket. As usual, those at-large spots are expected to be dominated by the sport’s four power leagues: the Great Lakes Alliance, Deep South Conference, South Atlantic Conference, and the West Coast Athletic Association.
Of those heavyweights, the Great Lakes Alliance appears closest to resolution. Top-ranked Detroit City College has effectively seized control of the conference race. The Knights improved to 11-1 in league play and 23-2 overall with Saturday’s authoritative 62-41 home win over Indiana A&M, opening up a three-game cushion on both the Reapers and Central Ohio. With four games remaining, Detroit City needs just one more victory to clinch its second straight GLA title and fifth in the last seven seasons. Barring a collapse, the Knights are not only a lock for the tournament but are positioning themselves as the likely overall No. 1 seed.
The Deep South Conference, by contrast, is shaping up as the most chaotic and compelling race in the country. Four teams—defending champion Noble Jones College, Mississippi A&M winners of the previous four titles, Baton Rouge State, and Northern Mississippi—are deadlocked at 9-3 with four games to play. All four are ranked in the national top ten and already appear safely in the tournament field regardless of how the standings shake out. Still, seeding and bragging rights remain very much in play. Northern Mississippi suffered a setback last week with consecutive losses to Baton Rouge State and Mississippi A&M, thinning the margin for error. The marquee game of the week comes in Augusta, where Noble Jones hosts Mississippi A&M in what could feel very much like a tournament preview.
The South Atlantic Conference remains unsettled as well. Maryland State holds a narrow lead at 8-3, just a half-game ahead of Charleston Tech and Carolina Poly. The Bengals’ path to a title is anything but easy: all three of their remaining games are on the road and all come against ranked opponents. That gauntlet begins Saturday at North Carolina Tech, a club still jockeying for at-large positioning, before showdowns next week with both Charleston Tech and Carolina Poly. A stumble or two could quickly flip the standings—and potentially complicate Maryland State’s seeding.
Out west, the West Coast Athletic Association again looks like a proving ground for national contenders. Two-time defending AIAA champion Lane State is tied atop the conference with Coastal California at 8-3, with Redwood just one game back. Each has three games remaining, and Friday night’s clash in Los Angeles between Lane State and Coastal California looms large. The Emeralds took the first meeting last month in Eugene by a 49-44 margin, and a sweep would go a long way toward securing both the conference crown and a favorable tournament draw.
Beyond the leaders, the bubble is tightening. Several programs hovering just outside the projected field—schools like Northern California, Whitney College, St. Magnus, and Huntington State—know that every result from here on out may determine whether their season extends into March. With strength of schedule and quality wins increasingly under the microscope, the margin between “in” and “out” has rarely been thinner. The next two weeks promise late-season drama across every corner of the country. The field may not yet be set, but the race to claim—and protect—a place in the AIAA tournament has clearly entered its most critical stretch.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 01/05/1975
- Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee issued proposals yesterday for a national energy program, and Administration officials indicated the plan offered a better basis for compromise with the White House than the program announced last week by a task force of congressional Democrats. The new plan includes a graduated tax on gasoline and import quotas, which are closer to the President's program.
- Senate leaders have scheduled another crucial test vote today in hopes of settling the battle over filibusters so the calendar can be cleared for major tax and energy legislation.
- US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is set to return to the Middle East for more talks aimed brokering troop disengagement agreements between Israel and Egypt and will also turn his attention to addressing disputes between Israel and Syria.
- Israel says he will return an oil field and two strategic mountain passes in Sinai to Egypt on the condition that President Anwar Sadat openly and directly pledge an end of belligerence against Israel.
- Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi declared Iran a one-party state and called on all Iranians "who believe in the royal regime, the Iranian constitution and Iranian revolution" to join the new political organization.
- OPEC Ministers, meeting in Vienna, opted to shelve a plan to boost the dollar price for oil, tabling it until they meet again at the end of the month.
- An intense 16-hour fire in an 11-story switching center in New York City, knocked out 170,000 phones over the weekend. 150 firemen were injured fighting the blaze which caused an estimated $10 million in damage.